Oh Roma. Like the North American tourist out for a little Italian holiday romance – I couldn’t resist the heated expressive charm of you. I am officially smitten.

That coin I tossed into the Trevi Fountain all those years ago (back when I was 19 and backpacking across Europe) brought me back to the city as promised. We spent a warm 5 days walking and watching, exploring and taking things easy – there was no need to rush. Pasta (amazing pasta!) couldn’t have suited the cool early summer evenings better – and lemon gelati in the noon day heat melted down our arms before we could finish them (the rest you drink).

I love the connection people have with each other here – pulling chairs from their homes or their shops to sit with their neighbours out in the sidewalks, chatting and arm waving and being a part of the living breathing life that goes on beyond their own doors.

We had a fantastic guide through the embrace of St. Peter’s square,  the Sistene Chapel and the Vatican Museum – passionate, in-depth and hilarious. The art of great story telling is such a gift. Otherwise we roamed about just the two of us – dodging scooters and mad traffic via overcrowded public transit that took a long time to turn up (and who cares when you’re not in a hurry). We walked through squares and markets and one massive ancient structure after another. How amazing is the engineering behind these structures, still standing after a couple of thousand years – when our best technology builds billion-kroner bridges to last just 100 years? They sure don’t build them like they used to. An unexpected PrideParade outside the Colosseum added festival air to part of an afternoon – and did not make Jan gay (is this what straight guys fear about watching anything gay?) Irresistable club music had some of the onlooking Polizia dancing when they thought no one was watching (although dancing men in uniform befit the occasion) – and reminded me of those years just after highschool and why we so often hit the gay clubs when we really just wanted to dance – that’s where the best music always was, and dancers with bodies the likes of which no straight club could match. Respect and appreciation for a great atmosphere (and the sculpted male form).

It was tough to hop back on the plane home – but we’ve tossed a new coin into the Trevi Fountain now – so we know we’ll be back again – hopefully with less time in between than last. See you again Rome.

More photos on Flickr

Even for a couple of non-campers like us, there could have been no better way to round out our trip to Australia and New Zealand than with the 3 Day Classic Tour guided by Abel Tasman Kayaks. Like the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, the kayaking around a national park for 3 days was a physical challenge that paid off in so many ways. Not only did we get to see portions of the Abel Tasman National Park not accessible by vehicle or by foot, we got to feel like we’d accomplished something we knew would be quite challenging. Add the fresh air, the sunshine, the wildlife spotting (sea lions mostly) and the funny character guiding us, and it couldn’t end any way but well.

We were a pretty small group, 3 couples (us, 2 from Germany and 2 from Holland) and a single guy from the UK – which worked out well as there was a spot with the guide, and after the end of the second day just 5 (the couple from Holland had booked only 2 days). Admittedly, the first day was a bit taxing – with wind and big waves that made keeping up with the guide a bit (ok very) challenging. Seemed like we covered a lot of kilometers that day, although it was probably no more than the other days. The landscape was beautiful but I think we spent more energy focusing on what we were doing than on looking around us. It was all we could do to get our kayaks emptied and tents set up that night, what with useless tired arms hanging from our shoulders like deli salamis.

Day 2 the wind was gone, the sun was out and somehow the kayaking got easier, faster, and much more in rhythm. We saw sea lions barking and playing in the surf, chasing each other and making a fuss. At one point a huge sea lion surfaced right next to us, flailing an octopus about in an attempt to tear a piece off – amazing (also that we didn’t get hit with octopus) – and too bad for the others, who’d already steamed ahead and missed seeing any of it.

Our guide, Daryl, was stellar. He’s got a wicked sense of humour and was so down to earth about everything that you didn’t notice until you really watched him how lighting fast he was at everything, even setting up the picnic lunches (he’d send us off exploring a bay or an island while he got everything set up). The food was fantastic, there was nothing camping about it, except of course the setting. Really well done and totally organized – which made you feel good and safe and able to put your energy instead into experiencing the park around you. As a bonus one night Daryl led us (with flashlights) along a narrow path to a cave in another bay that had glow worms – a sight I’d been sorry to miss earlier in our trip. How lucky was that?! They looked like their own living galaxy right there in the cave, little glowing stars hanging from the black of the ceiling. Daryl’s been a guide here for 22 years – and his love for the park shows in everything he says. He filled us with all kinds of information about the plants, the trees, the history, the wildlife – with an enthusiasm that was as enthusiasm is: contagious.

Day 3 topped everything (and not just because we’d said goodbye to our last night in the tent). Without a hard deadline to make, we had time to cruise around Fisherman’s Island (among others) and explore some of the coastline a little more closely. Daryl accidentally surprised a sea lion resting on the rocks when he hopped on shore to grab something, and the great big guy came splashing into the water between us with all kinds of fuss and irritation. We saw sea lions cruise under the kayak more than a few times that day – which was just magic. And something I’ve never tried let alone seen – we rafted our 3 double kayaks together and added a sail using our hands (in the front) and paddles (in the back) – so we could sail in to our final stop across the last bay. A fantastic 3 days and again – one of the real highlights of our 2 months away. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend our last few days here. Thanks Daryl. Now how are we going to wrap our heads around spending 5 days a week behind a desk…?

More photos are posted at Flickr

Abel Tasman Kayaks: http://www.abeltasmankayaks.co.nz/